A Shakey's Pizza manager described as "family" by the
restaurant's owner was killed in an apparent robbery at a Moreno
Valley automatic teller machine late Sunday.

Carrie Thomas, 23, of Moreno Valley, died at 4:17 a.m. at
Riverside County Regional Medical Center, where she was taken after
crashing into a pole near the drive-through ATM of a Visterra
Credit Union branch on Cactus Avenue.

UPDATE

Shakey's 'family' mourns gunshot victim

Her boss said he had just spoken with her Sunday night after she
closed the restaurant, as she was going to the ATM to withdraw
cash.

That's when police said the apparent robbery and killing
occurred. Police were first called to the bank about 11:45 p.m. to
a reported traffic collision. When they arrived, they found Thomas,
smashed into a light post and shot inside her car, Riverside County
sheriff's Sgt. Joe Borja said.

"From all indications" she was an innocent victim at the bank at
the wrong time, Borja said.

She was taken to Riverside County Regional Medical Center where
she later died from her injuries.

Police have no suspect, other than an image capturing a man at
the scene. Officers were collecting surveillance footage from the
heavily monitored parking lot in order to identify the gunman and
his vehicle.

Moreno Valley police and sheriff's homicide detectives continued
to comb the parking lot Monday. The drive-through was closed behind
yellow crime tape but the lobby remained busy with customers.

Thomas' black Mazda remained smashed against the light post,
with the driver's door and window open. A tennis racquet lay in the
back of the car, marked as evidence.

Thomas had worked for the past five or six years at the Shakey's
on Sunnymead Boulevard in Moreno Valley, said owner Harold
Veum.

He described her as being like family and "one of the best
managers I ever had," always arriving at work on time and calling
in sick well in advance so a replacement could be found.

"She was cheerful. She could make you laugh so hard," Veum said.
"She could come up with things that just bust your gut."

Thomas was on the verge of moving into her own apartment, Veum
said. "I think she was just getting the keys today."

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